Angelic Savior
by SaffronAngel
Summary: Can Angel save Cordelia from an enemy that no one expected? Complete!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1. Chapter 1: A Beginning

DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Never will be. Not unless Joss decides to adopt me and give me the copyright. (Hey if you're gonna dream, might as well dream big.)  
  
SPOILERS: None. At least not really.  
  
SUMMARY: This story is set in a somewhat AU. Cordy has a secret. There's a reason behind all the things her father gives her. Can Angel save her from her secret before it's too late?  
  
DEDICATION: This one is for Drew and Kitka. Friends. My own personal Angel and Cordelia.  
  
DISTRIBUTION: If you ask, I'll probably say yes.  
  
If anyone else knew what she was going through, she would die of embarrassment. She hid the bruises well. Of course, it helped that he didn't normally leave them where anyone would see them. No one else knew the reason that her daddy gave her so many nice things.  
  
////////////  
  
Cordelia Chase lay in her bed in her posh bedroom. She was awake because she was scared. She didn't want this tonight. But she knew that it would probably happen. Daddy had his friends over tonight and Mom was off at Aunt Trudy's house. She waited to see who the first to come up would be.  
  
When the doorknob turned, she closed her eyes and prayed for it to end quickly.  
  
///////////  
  
"Hey, Cor. You look a little worse for wear today. Didn't sleep well." Xander Harris. The Zeppo. The one person she really didn't want to talk to right now. She didn't even want to be at school today but she knew that she was safer there than at home. Wasn't that ironic? Home was supposed to be the safest place in the world. School was dangerous for everyone else.  
  
What would she do if someone took the school hostage and said that they'd let everyone else go if one person would die for the rest? She'd volunteer. She wanted to die everytime she walked through the door of her home. Home. That was a joke. No one loved her there.  
  
The bruises would heal as would that tender spot down below. But the cuts. The cuts were the worst. He didn't do it often because they took so long to heal.  
  
"Cor, you still here?"  
  
"Actually, Xander, I was thinking about how much fun I'm going to have when we go to St Croix for Christmas this year."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Duh. God, do you have to act as dumb as you look?" He looked hurt. Good. At least she could hurt someone. She couldn't defend herself against her father and his friends but at least she could lash out at the losers at school.  
  
Turning abruptly, Cordelia's ankle gave out under her and she collapsed unceremoniously into a heap on the floor. Tears filled her eyes. That was the ankle that daddy had tied down last night. He had left her tied to the bed all night and she had sprained the ankle when she tried to get out of bed that morning. Her father had finally untied her when she begged him to let her go to school so that no one would come looking for her. She wanted to protect him at the same time that she wanted to kill him.  
  
Xander picked her up and put her in one of the chairs around the library table. Giles knelt in front of her and looked up into her eyes as if asking permission to take off her boot and look at her ankle. She nodded, forgetting for the moment the fact that there was a mark on that ankle from the rope that daddy had used to tie her to the bed.  
  
Giles saw the mark. "Cordelia, what have you been doing?"  
  
"Nothing. It's nothing."  
  
"This is a rope mark. Who tied you and why?"  
  
"Giles, please. Don't ask questions you really don't want answers to." She knew she was about to cry and didn't want to do it in front of these guys.  
  
"Cordelia, tell me what happened." Giles' voice held a note of finality to it.  
  
"No. I can't. You wouldn't understand." She took her boot from Giles and slipped it back on. Standing, she carefully made her way to the bathroom where she knew that he couldn't follow her.  
  
///////////  
  
"I think it's her father." Xander was the one to break the silence left in the library after she left.  
  
"What?" Giles couldn't believe that.  
  
"Her father. He's beating her. Maybe more. I know the signs. She's trying to protect him but inside she wants to see him hurt. Maybe even dead for what he's doing to her."  
  
"Dear God." Xander had a point. He would definitely know the signs of parental abuse. The way his father treated him.  
  
"What can we do? We have to protect her." Willow was scared. She had never really liked Cordy but she didn't want to see her hurt. She knew that that road could lead to worse things. If Cordy survived it.  
  
"Until she asks for help, there's nothing we can do," Giles said, cleaning his glasses. None of them noticed the shadow disappear back into the stacks.  
  
"Maybe you can't. But I can."  
  
/////////////////////  
  
AN: I know. Not my usual beginning. This is also NOT my usual pairing. Fair warning. I don't know where this is going just yet. 


	2. Chapter 2: Rescue

DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Never will be. Not unless Joss decides to adopt me and give me the copyright. (Hey if you're gonna dream, might as well dream big.)  
  
SPOILERS: None. At least not really.  
  
SUMMARY: This story is set in a somewhat AU. Cordy has a secret. There's a reason behind all the things her father gives her. Can Angel save her from her secret before it's too late?  
  
DEDICATION: This one is for Drew and Kitka. Friends. My own personal Angel and Cordelia.  
  
DISTRIBUTION: If you ask, I'll probably say yes.  
  
Cordy had taken her shower and crawled into bed, hoping against hope that he would leave her alone tonight. Throughout her bedtime rituals, she hadn't noticed the shadow moving around in the tree by her window.  
  
When she had finally turned off all the lights and pulled the covers up around her neck, Angel relaxed for a moment. It looked like all would be well tonight. That would be a good thing. He had come to care deeply for the dark-haired young woman. Especially since coming back from hell.  
  
He knew that Buffy had only done what she had to but it didn't help to repair their relationship. The two of them had grown distant since he had come back even though they had spent a lot of time together at first. Buffy had hidden him being back for so long that he had begun to think that she was ashamed of him.  
  
Then one day, Cordy had shown up at the mansion, looking for someone to talk to after the whole factory incident. She had broken up with Xander and Willow was trying to beg for Oz's forgiveness. That had been the night that both Buffy and Angel had realized that they had been trying to lie to themselves. That they could never be together like that again. That even being friends was a lie. The whole sending Angel to hell thing had totally destroyed their relationship beyond repair.  
  
Cordy had sat that day and cried in Angel's arms for hours. Then, when she decided it was time to go he told her to feel free to come talk to him anytime. She had. More and more the two had gotten close.  
  
One day, they kissed. It wasn't planned. It was a total accident. Cordy's ankle had given out and she fell into Angel, knocking him down. Their lips met and that was how Buffy had found them when she came to see how he was doing.  
  
"I guess you're doing just fine," she shouted, tears running down her face. She had stormed out and hadn't really talked to Angel since.  
  
Meanwhile, Oz had totally left Willow who was devastated. He started seeing Buffy. Willow was so heartbroken that she missed several days of school.  
  
Xander went to Willow's house one night to find her laying across her bed, a bottle of pills laying next to her. He had rushed her to the hospital where they saved her from the overdose. Xander never left her side once. He and the little redhead had been inseparable ever since.  
  
The gentle tapping on the window scared Cordy. Oh God, now what? She slipped out of bed, being very quiet and not turning on any lights. Otherwise her father would know that she was up and probably come up here.  
  
She slid open the window. "Angel, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Making sure that you're okay. I was at the library today when they saw your ankle. What is he doing to you?"  
  
"If I tell anyone, he swore that I wouldn't live to regret it." She hung her head and Angel could smell the salt of her tears building up. "Angel, if he catches you here ...."  
  
"He won't. Stealth guy, remember?" Right then, Angel wanted to pull her out the window and take her back to the mansion where she would be safe. Protected. Of course, there was the whole univite spell that had been cast. Even though she had never invited him in before the loss of his soul.  
  
"Angel, I can't take this much longer. If I live to graduation, I'm leaving town. I have to get away from here."  
  
"Pack a bag. Come to the mansion. You'll be safe there."  
  
"He won't let me. He'd rather see me dead than with anyone else."  
  
"He won't be able to hurt you at the mansion. I promise. I can protect you."  
  
Just then, Cordelia's bedroom door flew open and the light came on. "You slut!" Her father stormed over to the window and grabbed her arm, throwing her across the room. He pulled off his belt and Cordy cowered in the corner where she had landed. She knew what was coming. The same thing had happened everytime she had come home from a date.  
  
"Cordy, invite me in!" Angel yelled. "Invite me in!"  
  
The first three blows fell and then, nothing. Without realizing it, Cordelia had screamed for Angel to come in and that had been all it took. Angel threw her father against a wall, picked her up and fled from the house.  
  
Returning to the mansion that night, he gave Cordy one of the guest rooms. There was a bathroom that had been fully stocked from when Dru and Spike had been there. She showered again and felt a little better.  
  
However, when she curled up in the bed and fell asleep, her father was there, in her dreams. She woke to find herself cradled in Angel's arms with him gently rocking her. She had no more nightmares that night as long as Angel held her.  
  
//////////////////  
  
AN: Hope that part works. More to come definitely. 


	3. Chapter 3: Reflections

DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Never will be. Not unless Joss decides to adopt me and give me the copyright. (Hey if you're gonna dream, might as well dream big.)  
  
SPOILERS: None. At least not really.  
  
SUMMARY: This story is set in a somewhat AU. Cordy has a secret. There's a reason behind all the things her father gives her. Can Angel save her from her secret before it's too late?  
  
DEDICATION: This one is for Drew and Kitka. Friends. My own personal Angel and Cordelia.  
  
DISTRIBUTION: If you ask, I'll probably say yes.  
  
The next day, Cordelia woke up alone. There was a note on her pillow from Angel.  
  
*****  
  
Cordy, I went back to the house and got some of your clothes while you showered late last night. I didn't want you to worry. I also dropped off a note at Giles' house to let everyone know that you wouldn't be in today or for a few more days at least.  
  
Don't worry. I didn't get caught.  
  
Take it easy today.  
  
Angel  
  
******  
  
Cordy smiled on seeing his beautiful handwriting. She had always thought he was goregeous and now she felt like a real princess. He cared for her enough to make sure that she had some of her own clothes here.  
  
She rolled over as if to get out of bed and bit her lip as the wound in her stomach pulled against the stitches. At least, those hadn't torn last night. She didn't think she could handle it if she had to get the whole thing restitched again.  
  
She was sore across her shoulders where the belt had fallen. She tried to check with her hands and see if there were any welts. She couldn't tell. Then, she remembered that there was a mirror in the bathroom.  
  
He had put it there for Dru. She used to pretend that she could still see her reflection as she brushed her hair in front of it. She used to play with her dolls in front of it too, giggling at how it looked like they were moving themselves. She found such simple things amusing.  
  
Thinking about it, Cordy could see how it would be kind of funny, looking into a mirror and watching your dolls seem to move without any help. She giggled as she walked into the bathroom and turned to see her back. She immediately wished she hadn't. The belt had drawn blood and left really big marks.  
  
She sat down on the bench and started crying. She hated her father and right now would just love to see him get what was coming to him.  
  
*****  
  
AN: I know it's short but that's the best I could do for the moment. Besides, to go much further and I'd ruin the surprise. 


	4. Chapter 4: The Threefold Rule

DISCLAIMER: Not mine. Never will be. Not unless Joss decides to adopt me and give me the copyright. (Hey if you're gonna dream, might as well dream big.)  
  
SPOILERS: None. At least not really.  
  
SUMMARY: This story is set in a somewhat AU. Cordy has a secret. There's a reason behind all the things her father gives her. Can Angel save her from her secret before it's too late?  
  
DEDICATION: This one is for Drew and Kitka. Friends. My own personal Angel and Cordelia.  
  
DISTRIBUTION: If you ask, I'll probably say yes.  
  
Angel found Cordy sitting on the edge of the bed crying when he woke up that night. He noticed that she had a very loose shirt on. It looked to be one of his.  
  
"What's wrong, Cordy?"  
  
"My back," she sobbed.  
  
"Let me see?" he asked gently, raising her face to look at him with his fingertips. She nodded.  
  
He sat down behind her and lifted the shirt very gently, stopping when he reached the first welt. He didn't need to see anymore. He dropped the shirt and stormed out of the room.  
  
///////////////////////  
  
Cordy sat in front of the fireplace where she had built a fire, waiting for Angel to come back. She wasn't even going to try to sleep without him there. Where had he gone? What was he doing?  
  
She wasn't even sure she wanted to know.  
  
//////////////////  
  
After seeing the welt on Cordy's back, Angel had to take action. He had promised himself he wouldn't kill her father. After all, he was still Cordy's father. But that didn't mean he couldn't hurt him. Badly. And that's just what he planned to do.  
  
//////////////  
  
"You!" Cordelia's father spat when he opened the door and saw Angel standing there. "Where's my daughter?"  
  
"Where you'll never hurt her again. And now, in payment for the marks you left on her, you receive in kind times three." With that, Angel lashed out with the belt that he had held behind his back. Nine times the belt came in contact with Mr. Chase's body and nine times he cried out in pain. When he was finished, Angel bent over the broken man in front of him. "Now maybe you know how she felt. Trying to hide the marks you left on her day after day."  
  
He left. He needed to walk now. He needed to calm down before he went back to the mansion and scared Cordy. That would be the last thing she needed right now.  
  
////////////////////  
  
He came back to the mansion just before dawn and found Cordelia asleep on the couch in front of a fire which had apparently died out just recently.  
  
He knelt beside her and gently pushed the hair out of her face to see the tear tracks on her cheeks. Ever so gently, trying not to wake her up, he picked her up and carried her to her room where he tucked her into her bed and turned to go.  
  
"Don't go." The whisper that came from the bed drew him back. "Where did you go?"  
  
"Your father has received just payment for the marks he left on you. He has nine welts across his back."  
  
"But, Angel, he only left three on me."  
  
"The ancient ways say that what you send forth comes back to thee threefold. Therefore, nine welts for your three." He bowed his head. "After that, I had to walk for a while. I needed to calm down. I didn't want to scare you by coming back here all upset."  
  
Cordelia didn't say anything more. She just reached up a hand to stroke his cheek. "Lay next to me?"  
  
"Cordy, I - - I"  
  
"I'm not asking for that. I just want you to lay here and hold me. Nothing more. Just hold me for today."  
  
Her explanation laid to rest many fears he had. He stepped away from the bed and made sure that her curtains were tightly closed against the sun. Then, he slipped off his shoes and stretched out on top of the covers next to her, gently pulling her into his arms.  
  
They slept that way all day and many other times after that. They were perfectly happy just to be close to each other.  
  
///////////////////  
  
A/N: There you go, Kit. If there's enough interest I'll consider a sequel. 


End file.
